Delphin b



D. B. COBB.

- TUBE PACKING FOR SURBAG'B G'ONDBNSBBS. i I No. 334,512; -1=a,1en1ed Jan. 19,1886.

WITNESS/f8 shoulders a.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DELPHIN B. COBB, OF BROOKLYN, NB/v YORK.

TUBE-PACKING FOR SURFACE-CONDENSERS.

arneirrcnrrolrv forming part of Letters. Patent rio. 334,512, dated January 19, 1886.

Application ed May 14,18%.

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, DELPHIN B. COBB, ofk

Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TubePackings for Surfaee-Gondensers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improved tube-packing for surface-condensers, by which the tubes can be putin or taken out for the purpose of cleaning without injury eitherl to the tubes, packing, or thimbles.

The invention consists of a condenser-head having recessed holes, tubes passing through said holes, a packing between the tubes and the recessed holes, and a threaded thimble or gland having a Aconically-contracted and recessed Outer end for being readily screwed into the condenser-head.

The invention consists, secondly, of a -thimble or gland having an exterior screw-thread angl a conically-contracted and recessed outer el] In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents an end View of a condenser-head with my improved tube-packing. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the oondenser-head, showing two condenser-tubes with my packing. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are respectively a vertical central section of the blank for athimble and avertical central secf tion and au end `view of a finished thimble, and Fig. 6 is a vertical central section of a die for contracting the-ends of the thimbles or glands.

Similar letters Vof reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a metal condenser-head,which is provided with a series of holes that are cast or drilled in, said holes being recessed or enlarged so as to forni The condenser-tubes B B are guided in the holes of the condenser-heads by asuitable packing, b b,which is placed around the tubes so as to abut against the shoulders a of the recessed holes. The packing b is confined between washers b at both ends, which may be made of any suitable material, so as to properly protect the packing, the inner washers preventing the packing from being forced beyond the shoulders into the condenser, while the outer washers serve for taking up the friction of thethimbles or glands C C, by which the packing is tightly applied to t-he tubes B B. The thimbles or glands C C are provided with exterior screw-threads and with conicallycontracted outer ends having recesses or notches d d, for being conveniently taken held ofby the operating-tool. By screwing in the thimbles C C the packing is tightly compressed around the condenser-tu bes. The thimbles t] C are made from a section of metal tubing, the outer end of which is conically contracted by suitable dies, as show vn in Fig. The die is provided with a central steel pin, between which and the inner wall of the matrix an annular -space is formed for receiving the cylindrical blank. The upper en'd of the lcenter-pin is made conical, for imparting the required conical contraction to the end of the blank. Vhen the blank is thus placed in position, a drop-die having a conical cavity will contract that part ot' the blank above the in the matrix. After the blank is thus made conical at one end, the latter is recessed or notched at dianietrical points, so as to provide the recesses for being taken hold of by a screwdriver or other suitable tool. The cylindrical at its outer surface.

The object ot' making` the thimbles with conical ends is to prevent the tubes from crawling or creeping in the condenser-heads any farther than the contracted ends of the thimbles, at which points they are effectually stopped. Vhen the thimbles are screwed home in the condenser-heads, the tubes will have a suflicient play between the conical ends of the thimbles, so as to give suflicient space for expansion, butlimiting the crawling. The packing can be readily adjusted from time to time by the thimbles, as they can be screwed home into the condenser-heads, as shown in Fig. 2,without being stopped by exterior collars, that would arrest the motion of the thimbles.

I am aware that different constructions of thi rubies or followers have been proposed heretofore for compressing the packing of condenser-tubes and limiting the crawlingv or creeping ofthe tubes. Among the more recent ones I refer to the patent granted to Joseph matrix without upsetting that part of the blank portion of the blank is then screw-threaded \Vilsou, No. 221,435, dated November 1]., 1879, in which the thirnble or follower is provided with an exterior screw-threaded portion and a thickened inwardly extending flange having` recesses, whereby said flan ge may be adjusted by a suitable tool. This thirnble or gland, however, is stopped by the exterior thickened end flange from being screwed into the condenser-head, so that the packing cannot be properly adjusted from time to time, as required.

In t-hc patent granted to Tilliam E. Todd, No, 258,891, of November 20, i883, the thimble or follower consists of an exteriorlythreaded brass tube having inu'ardly'bent lugs and notches. This follower is also stopped by the thicker end portion, so that it can only be screwed into the condenser-head up to the thicker end. By my thimble these objections are avoided, as the packing can be depressed from time to time for tight-ly packing the tubes, as the thimbles can bc screwed home into the condenser-head to the entire depth of the threads ofthe recessed holes by means of the conically-contracted ends, which cannot, abut against the condenser-head.

Another advantage is,that the thilnbles can be made shorter, so as to save considerably in material, while greatly increasing their convenience and economy for use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secu re by Letters Patentl. The combination of a condenser-head having recessed holes, condenser-tubes pass ing through said holes, suitable packing placed around the tubes, and threaded thimbles or glands having conieallycontracted and reeessed outer ends, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a eondenserhead having recessed holes, condenser-tubes guided in said holes, suitable packing provided with end washers, and threaded thinibles or glands having eonically contracted and recessed outer ends, substantially as set forth.

il. A thimble or gland for the tube-packing ofsurlaee-eondensers, provided with an exterior screw-thread and a conically-contraetcd and recessed outer end, substantially as set forth.

ln testimony that l claim the foregoing as mv invention l have signed my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses. DELPHIN B. COBB. W'tnesses:

PAUL GonrnL, SIDNEY MANN. 

